


Spirited Away

by Hepzheba



Series: Nanowrimo 2016 [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ghosts, M/M, Medium Stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-15 14:17:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11232759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hepzheba/pseuds/Hepzheba
Summary: When Derek and Cora move across the country to a new house in Beacon Hills, they quickly realize that something's not quite right in the house...





	Spirited Away

**Author's Note:**

> Almost a year after it was written I finally get around to post this. Hope you'll like it. Last fall I was watching a show about mediums quite a lot (like every day), the result was this fic. Stiles' medium ways are inspired by my favorite medium Terry Evans (he's amazing!).
> 
> A huge thanks to the lovely Beth for the beta. And thanks to that person in ladydrace's chat room who helped with the title (I wish I could remember who it was...)

The house they buy is big and lies a bit outside the town, just the way Derek likes it. His sister Cora would probably want something closer to the smalltown they have just moved to, but she's too sad to really state her opinion on the matter. The house is old and creaks when the wind blows. Derek doesn't mind.

They set in rather quickly in the new house, none of them having any work to go to in this town. They have money to survive at least a year without working. It feels like blood money because the only reason they have the money is because their sister Laura is dead, along with the rest of their family.

Derek had been at home that faithful day when there was a knock on the door. Outside there were two police officers, looking sad.

”Can I help you?” Derek asked. One of them stepped forward.

”Do you know Laura Hale?” he asked. Derek nodded.

”She's my sister. I'm Derek. Derek Hale.”

”Can we come inside?”

Derek nodded, knowing that something was very wrong. He had been right. They said that Laura died when the car crashed into her, but Derek has been awake many nights wondering if she suffered before she died.

The funeral had been a quiet affair with only a few close friends. There were no relatives except for Derek and Cora left to attend the funeral.

They needed to get away so they moved across the country from the buzzing of New York to a Californian smalltown called Beacon Hills. Derek thinks the move will be good for them. Eventually.

Cora spends most of her time reading and Derek works in the garden. They mostly eat in silence, the lost prescence of Laura is almost palpable. They both miss her dearly.

It's an old house and the creaking is only normal, Derek tells Cora when she gets convinced the house is haunted. Soon though, Derek starts wondering if maybe Cora isn't right after all. It's small things at first. Things move without Derek having moved them. He doesn't find his shoes for a whole day and then the next day they turn up in the hallway, as if they have been sitting there the whole time. Only thing is, Derek knows he looked in the hall both one and two times. There had been no shoes then.

Then there are creaks in the floor, as if someone's walking past his bedroom at night but when he gets up, convinced that it's Cora, he finds nothing but empty air outside, and Cora sound asleep in her own bed, Derek even checks in on her.

Then it's the cupboards that open even though Derek knows he's closed them.

The last straw is when they both eat dinner and the door to a cupboard opens and then closes, right in front of their eyes.

”I told you it was haunted,” Cora says, her voice trying to sound tough but Derek knows she's scared too.

This keeps happening, with more frequency as the days pass. Doors open on their own, things go missing only to turn up later in the spot they had been looking. Derek feels as if he's suffocating, and that feeling is the worst part of it.

It's Cora that actually looks into doing something about it. Derek thinks they just either have to learn to live with ”their ghosts” or move. He doesn't want to move.

”I found a medium,” Cora tells him late one night after a particular active day for the ghosts. Ghost? Derek doesn't know if it's just one or more of them.

”I think he could help us,” Cora says. ”I always have this bad feeling. I don't want to feel that way in my own home.”

”Me neither,” Derek admits at last and Cora nods.

”I'm going to send him an e-mail.”

”Are you sure about this? If he has an e-mail he might just be a fraud.”

”It doesn't hurt trying,” Cora argues.

”Our wallets might be hurt,” Derek says but at last he agrees that Cora can send this medium an e-mail.

She gets a reply almost immediately.

”If he's not busier he might not be any good,” Derek comments.

”Give him a break,” Cora says. ”He might be in between jobs. Besides, he's from Beacon Hills, we won't have to pay much gas money.”

Derek doesn't say anything. Cora decides that the medium is going to come by two days from now, they can live with that.

Things get worse after that. Photos get thrown to the floor, a frame of a photo of Laura breaks and Derek screams at the ghosts to stop it already.

The medium comes at last. Derek doesn't know what he expected but it's not the gangly, barely adult male who steps out of a blue, battered-up jeep outside their house. He's wearing a plaid shirt above a graphic t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. He's definitely not what Derek imagined. The guy stops outside the house and takes a few deep breaths, Derek can see his chest rising and falling. Probably preparing himself to fool Derek and Cora.

”He's here,” Derek calls for Cora, who comes down the stairs.

”Great.”

She goes to the door to open it and let him inside. Derek walks to the hallway and greets the guy.

”I'm Stiles,” the guy – medium, whatever – says.

”Derek.”

Derek shakes his hand and Stiles nods and takes a deep breath. Derek prepares to hear some shit coming out of his mouth.

”I need to say one thing first,” Stiles says and Derek thinks, this is it. ”It's not your sister, who's haunting this house.”

Cora sobs involuntarily and Derek feels a pang of grief, but also relief. He realizes he's been afraid it's been Laura, especially after the frame on her photo broke.

”You lost her just recently, right?”

Cora nods.

”She's here, but she's passed into the light. She wants you both to know that it doesn't hurt. She's not in pain anymore.”

Cora turns to Derek and hugs her tightly, feeling tears sting in his own eyes.

”I'm sorry for making you sad,” Stiles says and Cora lets go of Derek to turn to Stiles.

”It's okay, it's just- I've been afraid it's been Laura.”

Stiles shakes his head.

”She's okay,” he says. ”However, there are spirits here that don't want to have you here. You've felt like you're suffocating, like it's hard to breathe.”

Derek nods. Maybe this guy is real after all? How could he know about Laura? Sure, he could have looked up their names and found out about her accident, but he can't know about the suffocating feeling Derek's been having.

”You've seen things move, especially in the kitchen. It's not in your heads, you're not going crazy. It's real. Things have gone missing and then they turn up again. That's also not your imagination.”

Derek nods and they move into the kitchen.

”This used to be a children's home, in the beginning of the twentieth century. Did you know that?”

Derek shakes his head.

”A lot of kids died here. And people before that too. I see a man, he's huge and mean.”

Stiles scratches at his chin.

”I think he might have hung himself in the attic. That's what the suffocating feeling is about. He lived here before it became a children's home. I'd say sometime in the beginning of nineteenth century.”

”How did the kids die?” Cora asks.

”Most of them from tuberculosis, I think,” Stiles says. ”I feel like I need to cough and having trouble breathing. There are five of them, but my guess is that there were more who died here, they have just passed on to the light.”

Stiles continues, ”They are not malicious though, they've been having some fun with you, moving things around, but they're not mean. Not like the man. He doesn't want you here.”

”I've gathered that much,” Derek mutters and Stiles sends him an amused glance.

”What do we do about these people, then? You might ask, huh?”

The Hale siblings both nod and Stiles smiles and claps his hands together.

”This is the fun part, where we help them move on to the light.”

They go into the living room and stand in a circle, holding each other's hands.

”Close your eyes and tell me if you see or feel something,” Stiles murmurs. ”Just try to clear your mind.”

”I see a child,” Cora says suddenly. Derek almost opens his eyes to see if she's serious. She squeezes his hand. ”He's blonde and has blue eyes.”

”Tell him to come to me,” Stiles says.

”Go to Stiles,” Cora murmurs, just loud enough for Derek to hear.

”I have him,” Stiles says and Derek can hear the smile in his voice. ”Do you see anything else?”

Derek has just seen darkness before but now there's a light and he feels happy and content.

”I see a light,” he says and Stiles squeezes his hand.

”Good,” he says.

Derek can see tiny figures moving in the light and for a second he sees familiar green eyes and dark hair. She waves and smiles and laughs.

”Laura,” he whispers, feeling tears prickle down his cheeks.

”She's happy now,” Stiles says and he's right, she really does look happy. ”All the kids have gone into the light now. It's only the man left. Can any of you see him?”

For Derek's inner eye a man steps up. He's huge, just like Stiles had said. He's wearing old clothes and has a dark beard.

”I see him.”

”Good, I see him too.”

Stiles starts to shake then and Derek squeezes his hand. He can't see the man anymore.

”Are you okay?”

”He's struggling, he doesn't want to move on. He likes being a ghost.”

Suddenly the light disappears too and there's only darkness. Stiles gasps and falls to the floor. Derek hurries to bend down to check in on him. He's on his hands and knees, gasping for breath.

”Jesus!” Stiles swears. ”He was a tough bastard.”

”What happened?” Cora asks. ”Do you want anything? A glass of water, perhaps?”

”Some water would be nice,” Stiles says and Derek helps him get up from the floor.

Cora goes to fetch a glass of water for Stiles and hands it to him as Derek steers him to the couch to sit down.

”Did he pass on to the light?” Derek asks after a while and Stiles looks hesitant for a moment before he shrugs.

”I honestly don't know. If not, you just call for me again and I'll come back. It might be easier then, when we don't have to help any others.”

Derek nods.

Stiles gets up from the couch.

”Call me if you need anything,” he says and Derek nods.

”Are you okay to drive?” he asks and Stiles nods.

”I feel a lot better already, thanks.”

Derek nods and watches Stiles drive off.

”Well, that was something,” Cora says and Derek nods.

”I must admit I didn't believe he was real at first, but now...”

”Yeah, I know,” Cora says.

 

Things don't improve after Stiles' visit. On the contrary, they get worse. Cupboards slamming in the middle of the night and photos and paintings being thrown to the floor. There's also the feeling of something really not wanting them there.

Cora calls Stiles two days after his first visit and he comes back the same afternoon.

”We'll just have to try to make him go into the light again,” Stiles says, as if it's easy.

They stand in a circle holding hands again and close their eyes. At first there's nothing then Cora says,

”I see a man, he looks mean.”

”That would be him,” Stiles says. ”Tell him to go to me and we'll see if I can make him change his mind about this.”

”Go to Stiles,” Cora mumbles.

”Okay, I see him. Can you still see him?”

”No, he's gone.”

”Good.”

They stand there silently for a while and then Stiles sighs and lets go of their hands.

”There, I think he passed away into the light.”

”Would you like something? Water? Coffee?” Cora asks and Stiles smiles at her.

”Some coffee would be great, if you don't mind?”

”No, it's our pleasure,” Cora smiles.

They drink coffee and they get to see another side of Stiles. He talks animatedly with his hands and laughs with his head thrown back.

 

Derek is on his way loading grocery bags into his car when someone calls his name.

”Hey, Derek!”

It's Stiles, Derek realizes when he straightens.

”Hi,” Derek smiles at him. Stiles tugs a hand through his hair and smiles back.

”How are you? And Cora? Have things calmed down?”

”Good, good and yes. Thank you so much,” Derek says. ”We haven't had any unwanted experiences since your last visit.”

”I'm glad,” Stiles says.

”How are you?” Derek asks.

”I'm good,” Stiles says, ”I just come from work.”

”You work?” Derek asks, surprised. Stiles throws his head back and laughs. Derek can feel his ears heat up, like they always do when he gets embarrassed.

”Yeah, mediums work too, you know.”

”Yeah, I mean, do you have a different work from your medium business?”

”Yeah, one that actually gives me money,” Stiles smiles and Derek nods and then remembers that they haven't gotten a bill for Stiles helping them out.

”We haven't gotten a bill for you helping us,” Derek says, ”Has it gotten lost in the mail?”

Stiles looks cutely confused for a moment and then his expression clears up.

”No, no, I don't want anything for that,” he says and shakes his head.

”But-”

”No, it was my pleasure helping you,” Stiles says and Derek doesn't know how to reply to that.

”At least let me buy you some coffee,” Derek blurts out.

”That I can do,” Stiles smiles. ”Not now though, I'm on my way to the sheriff's station with these,” he holds up a bag of carrots in his hand.

”Bribes?” Derek feels the need to ask. Stiles laughs.

”No, it's for my dad, he works there.”

”Don't police officers eat donuts?”

”Deputies,” Stiles corrects him. ”They're called deputies here. And sheriff.”

”Right, I forget that,” Derek says.

”And this sheriff is not allowed donuts since his last lab results came back. His cholesterol was too high.”

”Aren't there meds for that?” Derek asks and Stiles nods.

”But it's also good to eat healthy. And donuts ain't healthy.”

Derek smiles at that.

”I'll let you get the carrots to your dad then,” he says.

”Coffee tomorrow?” Stiles asks and Derek nods, not really doing anything but working out on his days.

”At three at Starbucks?”

Derek nods, remembering having driven past a Starbucks when he went to the grocery store.

”It's a date,” Stiles smiles. ”See you tomorrow. Bye.”

”Bye,” Derek waves at Stiles' retreating back (and watches his ass but there's no one there to see him so it doesn't count).

He ponders on Stiles' parting words later. _It's a date._ Did he just mean that it was a date for their platonic coffee date or if he meant it like it's a date-date.

 

”You're freaking out,” Cora says a few hours later. Derek has been freaking out for the past hour or so.

”I might have accidentally asked Stiles out.”

”Stiles? The medium?”

”Do we know more than that Stiles?”

”No, you're right, that's quite a unique name.”

Cora sits down in the other armchair next to Derek.

”When did this happen? Did you call him or what?”

Derek gives her a desperate look.

”I met him at the grocery store. I mentioned that we hadn't gotten a bill for his visits and he said he didn't want any money so I offered to buy him coffee instead.”

”Doesn't sound like a date,” Cora says, ever the logical.

”I know, but then he said _it's a date_ and that had me thinking.”

”Do you want it to be a date?”

”I- yes, I think so.”

”Then let him know your intentions on the not-date,” Cora says. Her logic sometimes annoys Derek, but it can also be helpful.

”We'll see if I can do that.”

”Of course you can. Ask questions about him and be interested in him. Show that you're interested. And if you can, mention your past boyfriend so he knows you're playing for that team.”

”No pressure,” Derek mutters and Cora smiles.

”You'll do great, bro.”

 

The time for their not-date gets closer and Derek doesn't know what to wear.

”Take this shirt and those tight jeans you wear when you go clubbing.”

”I don't go clubbing,” Derek says.

”Then why do you have such tight jeans?” Cora asks.

”Because Laura made me buy them,” Derek says and smiles fondly at the memory. It doesn't hurt so much anymore, thinking about Laura.

”Well, wear them, it'll hopefully make him notice your ass. Your workout might be paying off at last.”

”There's no shame in being healthy,” Derek argues.

”Yes, there is, if you workout every day without anyone getting to see your body.”

”You're full of shit,” Derek says, but it only sounds fond.

He gets to Starbucks just in time and finds Stiles by the windows.

”Hi,” he says breathlessly. Stiles smiles up at him.

”I just ordered,” he says with a wave at his own cup of coffee and a piece of pie.

Derek nods, leaves his leather jacket and goes to order coffee and pie too. He gets back to Stiles and sits down.

”How are you?” Stiles asks and Derek smiles at him. Cora had told him to smile a lot.

”I'm good. You?”

”I'm good,” Stiles smiles back and Derek's stomach does somersaults.

”Did your dad appreciate the carrots?” Derek asks and Stiles throws his head back and laughs.

”No, he did not.”

Derek laughs and Stiles looks content, his brown eyes sparkling.

”He went into a rant about me not really caring about him,” Stiles laughs and Derek smiles. He'd love to meet Stiles' dad some day.

”He's the sheriff of this town, have I gotten that right?”

Stiles nods.

”Has been for a few years at least.”

”What do you work with then?” Derek asks.

”I'm a high school teacher,” Stiles says and that was not what Derek expected. Which he might have expected, Stiles is nothing like Derek pictured a medium to be like.

”Oh, what do you teach?”

”English and history,” Stiles says.

”Do they know about...?”

Derek waves his hand at Stiles, not knowing what to call it.

”That I'm a medium? Yeah, the whole town knows. I got some shit about it a few years when I came out about it, but it's okay now.”

”I'm glad,” Derek says.

”What about you? Why did you move here?”

”You know about my sister, Laura?”

Stiles nods with a sad look.

”Well, we needed to get away.”

”Why Beacon Hills though?” Stiles asks.

”Why not?” Derek counters.

Stiles shrugs.

”It's not the most active town, to be honest. It's half-asleep most of the time.”

”I like it,” Derek says and Stiles smiles at him.

”I'm glad.”

They stay at the coffee shop for hours, talking about Stiles' students, his clairoyance, Derek's sisters (both Cora and Laura) and Stiles' dad. Stiles does most of the talking but Derek is happy to listen to him.

”My best friend Scott says I talk too much,” Stiles excuses himself but Derek waves it off.

”I like to listen,” he says.

”I'm glad,” Stiles says.

”My sister tells me to smile more,” Derek tells Stiles. ”She says I have a murderous resting face.”

”Oh, let me see,” Stiles says and Derek relaxes his features into his resting face. Stiles laughs, delighted. ”She's right, you should smile more. You have a beautiful smile.”

”I-”

”Sorry, I made things awkward, didn't I? It's just- You're really nice and hot and- I don't know.”

”You too,” Derek manages to get out. ”I mean, you're nice and hot and all that too.”

Stiles gives him a blinding smile and tugs him across the table to press their lips together.

”Just so you know,” Stiles says later, when they have been making out for quite some time (earning angry looks from the coffee shop owner), ”I don't make out with all my clients.”

”I'm glad,” Derek says against his lips and smiles into the next kiss.

 

 


End file.
